Tumeric or NAC Making it Worse?

Is there any reason for Tumeric or NAC to make you feel worse? I have felt so bad lately with my iron and ferritin levels low. Although, my CBC was normal. I'm now taking Hydroxy and Methylfolate. I was hoping that the addition of methylfolate would make me feel better. It hasn't. However, I added Tumeric and NAC a couple of days ago. Could either of those make it worse with MTHFR? Seems they both come highly recommended. Dr. Yasko says Tumeric is a methyl donor.

I also have haemochromatosis, which is an iron overload disorder. I'm largely housebound, so have to look to other options (for now), rather than phlebotomies, to keep my iron down. I simply can't make the trip to the hospital at the moment.

Curcumin has reported iron chelating properties - so I've been taking it for a while to help reduce my iron stores. It seems to be working well, according to my blood results in July, but I'm going in for more on Friday to see how it's progressing.

Collectively, these results demonstrate that curcumin has the potential to affect systemic iron metabolism. There are 2 important implications of these results. First, iron chelators have been shown to exert antitumor effects, both through the formation of redox-active iron complexes55 and by iron depletion.24 Thus, reduction in systemic iron resulting from the use of curcumin in the setting of a low-iron diet may contribute to the anticancer activity of curcumin. Second, curcumin may have the potential to contribute to the development of anemia in patients with marginal iron status. This may be an important consideration when curcumin is used to treat patients with marginal or depleted iron stores or those exhibiting the anemia of cancer and chronic disease.

That said, there are other reports/studies that argue curcumin only has modest iron chelating abilities.

With most of these supplements we try, it's trial and error I'm afraid.

Hi Mogwai, can I ask which infections you've been tested for? I read that patients with iron overload are more likely to get Yersiniosis, but I guess there are many other bugs that like iron too.

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According to Yasko, when talking about her new multi - "All in One has no iron, as iron drives bacterial virulence".

As for testing? Just the big boys - HHV6 (negative); EBV (positive); Toxoplasma (positive). I also had a positive ANA last time I checked it - Titre was low, at 80.

I didn't even know I had Toxoplasmosis until a blood test found it last year. Both this, and EBV, are not current infections, tho. I'd love to do more testing - especially all things Lyme - as I'm one of those people with M.E. that never gets a cold/flu (which is also common with Lyme infection). Not even a runny nose in over 13 years...

By the way, I have 2 brothers with haemochromatosis - both of whom are in good health.